Cursed Love
by Kiitcatt
Summary: When Gray makes Juvia run from Fairy Tail, he must go and find her. But Juvia has already found some mysteries of her own, enough to change her and Gray's feelings forever.
1. Chapter 1

Juvia  
Juvia stared out of her window, head leaning on her hand as she watched the rain hit the window and make its way, weaving between drops down the glass. Her ocean eyes watched the rain fall, one by one as though she could see each drop individually. She lifted her other arm up and pressed her palm against the cool glass, the coldness distracting her thoughts as she concentrated on feeling her delicate hand go numb. This connection between water and her, it was all that she had.

Even though her emotions no longer were a direct effect on the weather itself, she still knew these raindrops falling outside were her tears she was shedding inside. Gray-sama had allowed her to break her connection with the constant pouring rain around her, he had made her finally see a blue sky, a memory she was always treasure. But sun didn't fill her heart right now.

Echoes of the past hours clouded her mind, making her wince at the sharp tones thrown at her verbally.  
A shaky sigh fell out of her mouth, her eyes closing to try and help her forget.

 _"Just leave me alone" "You are only helpful on the battlefield"_

Juvia whimpered at these words, shock still lingered within at the unexpected outburst she had just faced.

" _Why do you have to be so obsessive?"_

'What does Juvia keep doing wrong?' Juvia thought to herself. 'Juvia treated her beloved with all her affection at any possible time.  
Does he hate Juvia that much? Or is this all because of her love rival Lucy?'

" _I'll never return any feeling for you, just get over it" "If you keep this up, we can't even be friends"_

'How could Gray-sama say such ridiculous things just because has embarrassed to show any feelings?'

 _"I don't want you here"_  
 _I. Don't. Want. You. Here._

That's enough! Juvia's mind suddenly snapped and an idea came to her. There was a place, from before, where she had finally belonged.  
'That's where Juvia needs to go'.  
She didn't know what was even left of her old guild, after it had turned into the Super Mage Giant Phantom MK II and collapsed into the water but other headquarters still resided in Oak Town and she knew that's where she needed to go.


	2. Chapter 2

Gray _  
_Back at the Fairy Tail guild, uneasy tension filled the air. People who were there at the time sat together mumbling about some rubbish just to fill the space, while others sat in silence unable to say anything after the shock of seeing Gray act like that. Sure, everyone had seen Gray and Natsu go off on one another nearly every day but the anger in his words, that kind of power belonged against enemies, not fellow guild members and especially not against Juvia.  
Other chatter filled the background of arriving guild members who had missed the terrible argument and exclaims were heard seeing the guild floor drenched in water.  
Gray was sat on the floor in an empty room, head in hands resting on his knees.  
His breathing was heavy, unable to get his head straight.  
All he could see in his head was her face; Juvia's face. Her eyes were wide and filled with terror, tears escaping and staining her face, her mouth agape from the shock.  
How many enemies had they fought together? How many times had Juvia been beaten down, or had witnessed her friends in trouble and pain? And yet, she had never looked so scared than she did when he had said all them things to her.  
He didn't know what had come over him, he can usually handle all of Juvia's obsessive behaviour, even if it was massively annoying but he just had enough.  
She needed to finally know it would never happen, even if it took hurting her, but Gray knew this charade couldn't go on forever.  
How was he meant to focus on becoming an S-Class wizard if she was constantly in the way?  
Even after all this persuading on himself, Gray knew he had done wrong.

Gray got up and sauntered out to the guild hall where Natsu, Lucy and Cana were all sat, eating quietly. As Gray entered, all eyes from the tables looked up to him.  
He walked up to Natsu and looked down under his dark hair.  
"Do you think it's too late?" Gray asked  
"I don't know man, you were pretty harsh. But knowing Juvia, she's sure to forgive you" Natsu replied positively, always being optimistic.

Gray knew Natsu was exaggerating as usual and it would take a long time and a lot of effort for Juvia to forgive him but he must try.  
Yet, he didn't know where she was. She was always at the guild hall after losing her home at Phantom Lord, and seeing her run out the guild's doors, she could be anywhere.  
Gray sighed, running a hand through his long hair. He too had walked outside, hoping the cold rain would help him calm down and collect his thoughts. He looked up towards the sky to see grey clouds had created a cover over Magnolia, draining its colour to a drab and dreary atmosphere.  
A name escaped Gray's lips as he recognised how the weather acted would most likely reflect Juvia's feelings. "Juvia."


	3. Chapter 3

Juvia  
Juvia stepped off onto the train platform and made her way out the station.  
An old wooden sign with 'Oak Town' creaked as it swung in the breeze, announcing the passengers their location of arrival.  
Once outside, Juvia looked around seeing old memories surrounding her of the old town she used to live in. Even though she didn't live directly in the town, she liked to come down to the weekly market. Or she thought she did, but painful reminders of the comments the passing townspeople made towards the gloomy and depressing rain made her realise maybe she wasn't as happy as she thought she was outside her guild building.  
Towering mountains lined the horizon surrounding the town, blocking the setting sun making the town darken in the absence of any sky light, except for some streaks of purple and pink peeking through where the rain clouds broke occasionally. 'That's where it used to be' thought Juvia. She turned in the direction of the amber radiance behind the clouds and started to walk into her past.

Gray  
Please" Gray said determinedly. "I have to find her!"  
"I'm sorry, I can't help you. My magic only passes on sensations, not exact locations" answered Meredy.  
Gray had thought of the only way to locate Juvia; by asking Meredy to put a sensory link on him and Juvia so they would be connected.  
"I know, but it's my only option. I'm clueless to where Juvia could have gone and I need to find her before she leaves for good!  
Just imagine if you needed to find Ultear, what would you do?"  
Meredy's eyes widened at the example he gave and after a seconds though replied. "I can try but it'll only tell you what she feels."  
"That's good enough. I know Juvia, I'll know where she is by her emotions."  
"Okay then but you have to think of Juvia. Not just of her, but how you feel for her, how strongly you need to find her." Meredy places her hand onto Gray's wrist and whispers a spell to activate her Sensory Link chain to join the two lonely lovers together.  
Gray concentrated on Juvia, the times when it was just her and him, the times when she showed her true strong self… when they mixed their powers together to beat enemies… when she'd bake him bread with their faces on…  
Sadness. A wave of anguish surged into Gray's mind and nerves.  
"She's this hurt?" Gray questioned to himself out loud. Meredy looked up at Gray as he spoke, and replied to his rhetorical question.  
"What's wrong with Juvia? Who would upset such a lovely special friend of yours?"  
Gray grimaced at the description of his 'special friend'.  
"Me" Gray said flatly, and with that he stood up and walked away from Meredy without a glance back.


	4. Chapter 4

Juvia  
Ruins of old buildings lined the way to the missing piece of land which used to be Phantom Lords headquarters.  
The sun had fully set by the time Juvia had made it to her destination, creating an eerie atmosphere amongst the rocky ruins.  
The dark skies trembled with rain, slicing down onto the ground and Juvia's pearlescent skin as she began to slump further into her sadness.  
She knelt down to sit on the edge of the crater that once was Phantom Lord, but now was just crumbled rocks and dirt.  
'Juvia has nothing left.' Tears welled up in her eyes as the rain pelted down even harder. She clenched her hands on the edge tighter, loosening some pebbles and with letting out a gasp, almost losing her balance. She quickly stood up and away from the crumbling edge.  
Her fists were squeezed tight in anger and with a cry out, she hurled a rock she'd caught in her attempt to balance herself on the crater's edge. Into her empty home.  
A smash caused Juvia to jump at the unexpected noise in the silent night.  
'What could of that been?' she pondered and wandered close to the edge to peer into the massive space below. Carefully, she lowered herself onto the steep slope, using her water magic to guide her carefully down the sharp angle of the inside of the crater. 'Juvia's just curious' She told herself, as she made her way towards where a glint of light peeked out the muddy floor.  
A mirror? Thankful for the gloves she wore, she tugged at the big shard of metallic glass till it loosened and came free. Mud and cracks covered the piece of mirror, but Juvia looked into it, seeing her sad face reflected back at her. But something else made her look harder at the reflection of herself. What was that essence around her? It was more of a feeling than a fully visible aura but as her outline swayed like a specular reflection, the name of the mirror Juvia held in her hand dawned on her, 'the Mirror of Deceit.'  
Though it is called the Mirror of Deceit, its name was as deceitful.  
This mirror could only show the truth, and showed through any lies or illusions that any kind of magic tried to hide.  
'What is on me?' Juvia panicked as thoughts ran through her head thinking of every possible thing that could cause her reflection to be shadowed by such a dark cloak. Her track of thoughts was halted at the sight of another object. Juvia trod carefully over the unstable ground till she reached her goal.  
She slowly bent down and picked the item up in her hand, while the other covered her mouth to cover her sharp breath intake.  
A very muddy teru teru bōzu doll lay in her hand and around it was the same dark aura.

Gray  
'Where the hell are you Juvia?' Gray had been wondering all over Magnolia in search for her, but no such luck had been found.  
'What are you feeling?' Gray closed his eyes and concentrated hard on his connection with her, but all he could feel were different intensities of sorrow.  
Wait, something had changed. There was a different feeling, almost a comfortable essence. Puzzled, Gray wondered where on earth would Juvia feel comfortable if she wasn't at Fairy Tail. That was her home. No, wait, Fairy Tail was her home now but she had been with Phantom Lord before.  
Had Juvia returned to her dark guild? Impossible! It was disbanded when Fairy Tail kicked its ass a while back. Gajeel still belonging to Fairy Tail confirmed that the dark guild was still destroyed but was there anything left for Juvia to return to?  
There was only one way to find out and Gray let out an angry growl at where he was next to go. Oak Town.


	5. Chapter 5

Juvia  
The rain returned hard after it had softened slightly, creating puddles in between the rocks and tree roots in the mud.  
Juvia stared at her doll. Memories of her spending hours upon hours making these dolls to help prevent her rain magic ruining everyone's day flooding her mind, rushing back the loneliness of her childhood. They were all that she had so what was this dark magic covering it?  
As she took her glove off to feel the aura around the doll, her sleeve lifted slightly and a pink band of magic shined around her wrist. Meredy's magic? Juvia was confused at her so-called friend's magic on her.  
'Who is Juvia linked to?' She quizzed herself. 'Could it be? Gray-sama has used it to see if Juvia is okay? Juvia could weep at how touching this is.' As her thoughts returned to her usual beloved Gray, the darkness pulsed around the teru teru bōzu doll, shades of purples swimmingly changed around it, almost as excited at the thought of Gray as Juvia was.  
'Has my love for Gray transferred to this doll?' Juvia was confused; the ridiculous idea didn't hold water.  
Another thought came to her, but she didn't want to believe it. Could this Geoffrey's illusion magic? Had he passed this magic skill down to Jose, the guilds master? Whoever it was, Juvia knew one thing. She was cursed. And she wasn't going to let her be held by it anymore.  
She threw the mirror piece with all her forced backed with her water force magic and watched it smash into tiny diamonds against the rough surface of the torn apart ground. What surprised her more than the ease of smashing such an enchanted item was how the dark gloom around it seeped into the ground as though it was water being soaked up by the soil.  
'The darkness returns to the earth!' Juvia exclaimed, wide eyed at the possibilities opening up for her to rid of her own dark spirit.

Gray  
Gray jumped off the train and ran into the town.  
He was positive Juvia was close but he was still one step behind her. Gray looked down confused as he covered his heart with his hand, almost feeling it break.  
Was this from the sensory link? Gray clenched his fists, Ice Maker Magic at the ready as his determination grew to find Juvia and comfort her.  
The town was ghastly in the darkness of night with only the moon giving light and the odd working street lamp, making the abandoned buildings of previous dark guilds unappealing.  
He looked up to the mountains and knew where she had returned too, and with that ran towards them into the dark night.


	6. Chapter 6

Juvia  
Juvia wandered further up the mountains, hoping where she was heading would get rid of this curse once and for all.  
Her heart was heavy with betrayal from her past family. Phantom Lord weren't the best behaved guild but they had opened their doors for her when she thought she no longer had anywhere to go. Why would she end up with a curse upon her?  
Juvia shivered at the chill she felt from the heartache, and quickly wiped her tears away as she continued her journey.  
A circle of stones stuck out from the bare, rocky surface up ahead. Tall and cracked from such harsh weather at this height, they created a circle around a circular slab covered in patterns and the Phantom Lord Guild emblem.  
'Here.' Juvia confirmed to herself, as she entered the ring of stones. A surge of dark magic engulfed her as she entered the sacred ground, but she continued firmly till she reached the centre circle. 'It's time for Juvia to be released from this wretched curse and if anything goes wrong, Juvia's heart with always and forever belong to her Gray-sama.' And with that last thought in mind, Juvia got down on her knees and put her hands in front of her, onto the sacred mark of her previous affliction and allowed the dark magic to be absorbed into the earth. Purple light shone out of the pattern carved in circular images, and connected into her body intertwining with the her blue magic which glistened like glitter representing her inner water element.  
Her body began to shake, her magic energy getting drained along with the sticky black cloak but she didn't care just as long as she was rid of the curse. Juvia struggled with all her might concentrating on purifying her body and washing away any lingering darkness unknown to her.  
"For Gray-sama" she cried through gritted teeth as the power slowly floated away from her body and sunk into the sacred earth beneath her. Then she collapsed with exhaustion.

Gray  
Down on his knees in pain, Gray cried out in pain, for the sensation connected between Juvia and Gray had been shared.  
'No! Juvia, what's happening to you?' Gray pushed himself to stand and he forced himself up the mountains pathway jagged with sharp fallen rocks and overgrown grass. He reached the empty hole of what would have been the dark guild's headquarters but all was desolate. The only company was the sound of rain pouring from the undistinguishable sky, leaving Gray drenched.  
Swiftly, he ripped his shirt off and whipped his soaked hair out of his eyes.  
"Juvia!" He called out to the formidable mountains, but no reply was returned. I glimpse of light caught Gray's dark eyes and he followed it up an even steeper stairway made of sticking on ridges of the mountain till he was greeted with a sacred ritual circle of tall stones. Slowly he walked into the circle, feeling the magical pressure around to protect the serenity amidst the mountains, but practically tripped over his own feet when he spotted Juvia's body lying on the wet ground.  
'What in hell's name happened?!' Gray sat down next to her and scooped up Juvia and pulled her onto his lap, holding her tight and protecting her from the rain, which some time the next day he realised the idiocy within the action with her body being made entirely out of water.


	7. Chapter 7

Gray + Juvia  
The rain began to ease, then finally stop altogether, allowing Gray to let out a breath he didn't even realise he was holding. Juvia groaned and batted her eyelashes, adjusting them to the blackness around her and trying to decipher the figure above her.  
"Juvia," Gray said softly, his hand stroking down her face. This action shocked Gray, with it being so uncharacteristically like him but the shock on Juvia's face beat his hands down.

Then he felt it. Or perhaps, he realised what was missing. He and Juvia were still linked together, but he would still feel her burning passion for him, the love that heated up when he was closing in on finding her for she used him as her strength and Gray had felt the heat of the emotion.  
Yet he didn't feel anything anymore, almost if he wasn't even connected to her senses anymore but the pulsing pink light around both of their wrists revoked his thought. 'Does she no longer feel for me?' Gray looked down to the exhausted ivory coloured face, surrounded by messy blue hair that fell like waves in the sea she could control so easily, deep blue eyes locking onto his gaze. His heart and head filled with mixed emotions at this realisation; he was free of the attachment, but without her by his side, he felt he couldn't stand.  
A spark shot through their sensory link, bringing Gray to his senses.  
As they stared into each other, Gray realised Juvia had gone and fallen for him again at first sight.

What are you doing all the way out here Fullbuster?" Juvia said, her blue eyes sparkling even in the darkest nights. Gray frowned at her confident, yet uncharacteristic words. Her cheeks were rosy from their close proximity but she stayed laid down, unaffected any further.  
"I-I came to find you." Gray stammered back.  
"Looks like you can't stay away from me can you?" replied Juvia; a laugh followed ringing into the still darkness. Gray's lips curved up at the musical sound escaping her mouth, a sound he had never properly heard before with her being so bashful.  
"You-You're… different, Juvia." Gray's statement caused a confused look to flash across Juvia's face.  
She suddenly winced in pain, her hand reaching up to her temple.  
"Juvia, are you ok?" Concern filled Gray's dusky eyes, his hand went to reach out but it hovered in the air, unsure of where he would put it and conscious of what his actions might suggest.  
"I think so, I just.. agh!" Juvias forehead creased in pain. "I think I'm remembering".  
"Hey, don't stress yourself. You can try and remember on our way back to Fairy Tail" Gray reassured her, while realising her speech was in first person.  
'What's happening to my Juvia?' Wait, did he just claim Juvia as his? He thanked in his head he didn't say any of that out loud for anything related to them two could surely set her obsession off again and the last thing he would want her to know is how his feelings for her were stronger than just a guild member, or close friend.  
He got onto his knees while holding Juvia's body above ground and slowly raised her as he stood up himself.

On the way back down the jagged path, he held her hand softly in his to help her balance.  
He knew it was a risky move as Juvia may never let go but he wouldn't want her to fall especially with the state that she's in but when they had eventually reached the bottom, Juvia carefully slid her hand out of Gray's and held both her hands in front of her body, as she looked away shyly.  
'Huh?' Gray thought, 'Does she not feel the same way about me anymore?' A mix of relief and sadness swam through his body at the thought of Juvia no longer being around him.  
However, Gray could feel her warm heartbeat through their link which brought these two more intensely close than this connection was meant to bring them.  
What Gray didn't know was Juvia could feel his feelings just as profoundly and this made Juvia smile.


	8. Chapter 8

Juvia  
Concern, worry, fear. These feeling had filled Juvia's mind and body when Gray was searching for her, lifting her spirits to know just had deeply burdened he was to find her yet it puzzled her mind to why such strong emotions were surfaced when concerning her.  
She took a sideways glance at Gray, her heart fluttering at his dark hair, falling over those moon coloured eyes, his sharp jawline exaggerated by the upcoming light from the town's street lamps and the cheeky smirk across his lips. Her eyes cascaded down, over his shirtless body expect the sword and chain necklace he never took off.  
His skin patterned with scars that strengthened this motive and magic, the lines of muscle revealing his physical power capability.

Gray  
Gray's realisation of eyes upon him made him paranoid and he coughed to break the silence that piled up between them.  
"Oh, how rude of me!" Exclaimed Juvia. "I haven't even thanked you for your formidably kindness. Thank you Gray-san".  
Gray's eyebrows heightened at this change in honorific. "Yeah, well, I'm sure anyone in the guild would have done the same as me."  
"Oh, is that so?" Juvia teased, matching his expression. "Then why are you alone?"  
"I was just worried, that's all. Wouldn't you do the same for a friend?" Gray said sheepishly, his shoulders hunched up as he stroked the back of the head with a head.  
"I guess so," Juvia smiled at him and they carried on walking towards the train station.

…

"Hey," Gray said suddenly, stopping dead in his tracks. "What's gotten into you? Your behaviour, well, towards me has changed drastically."  
Juvia's fingers reached up to her temple; like they would help her thoughts straighten out.  
"I-" She started, but shook her head in exasperation and heading forward.  
Gray reached out and grabbed her wrist, and pulled her back to face him. "Juvia. You can tell me anything."  
She looked up at him with watery eyes and his heart dropped at the sight of her so upset. "Juvia," he repeated.  
"It was all a lie." She turned her face away, ashamed at the confession she spilled. "I remember my time at Phantom Lord, no matter how dark of a guild, as the first time of happiness in my life. But I was just as tormented there as I was my whole childhood and it made me a fool to the one I loved the most."  
"You weren't a fool…" Gray tried to comfort her but she wretched her arm after from his grip.  
"I was, and you took full advantage of that ability. That I would do anything for you, but I now know different, that it was a curse to bring me never ending heart break and pain. I'm finally free." She said breathlessly.  
"Come on Juvia, I can feel the warmth you feel towards me. A dark magic curse wouldn't create such pure emotion. It was just created towards the wrong guy."

Her cat-like eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer to Gray, taking him aback with the velocity of confidence.  
"Do you think you can carry on this torment? To keep the game up so you can carry on pretending to be cruel hearted? I've been through enough pain by family and love to know when it's enough, and now I'm finally free of that life controlling curse I can finally feel truly for someone. But it will never be you, Gray Fullbuster."  
Gray's eyes hardened and his mouth twisted into a grimace. "I know that's a lie. The heat from your heart never died out and when you first opened your eyes, I felt the surge of love you feel for me. It'll always be me Juvia, you can never stop that. But I never asked to torment you. You did that to yourself in your crazy love obsession curse."

Instead of an angry reply, Juvia stood there strong and took a moment to reply.  
Her hand touched her other wrist where the pink light of the sensory link was fading out. "I can feel it too through this connection, how you feel too."  
A flash of defeat pushed though Gray's heartless mask and he took a step closer to Juvia, ridding of all space between them. "Then you know, from the senses you can feel through the link that I would never do anything to harm you. I care too much."  
"Then stop pretending."  
Gray looked from eye to eye then his glance slipped down to her lips. Her mouth parted open at how his rugged, sharp features softened through his affection and she watched his face come closer towards her and she closed her eyes. As their lips touched and sunk into a deeper kiss, the pink light faded away completely but both were oblivious to the missing sensory link as they had formed a new bond that didn't need any magic to keep it strong.


End file.
